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About Lee Meyer (Mr.)
Expertise
I have 5+ years of experience with House Rabbits, rescue groups, and working with shelter rabbits. I do educational talks about house rabbits. I advise potential adopters, supervise bunny 'dates', fundraising/educational rabbit events, and help rabbit owners with their rabbits. I will answer questions about: general behaviors, body language, housing, toys, bunny-proofing, diet, spaying/neutering issues, nail clips, preventative measures, diet, and health questions. I will not discuss: anything that deals with rabbits for fur, food, factory-style breeding, deliberate or casual breeding by pet owners, or experimentation.

My focus is solely on rabbits as loved pets. It's why I'm a House Rabbit Society member rather than an ARBA member. If you don't view your rabbit the same way you would a pet dog or cat, please ask another expert your question.

I am not a veterinarian and cannot conclusively diagnose your rabbit. My advice does not take the place of a good rabbit vet. IF YOU THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM, DON'T WAIT FOR A REPLY, GET TO A VET IMMEDIATELY!!! Sometimes what appears to be a small problem is life-threatening.

The House Rabbit Society has references on their site for vets they have researched. There are US and international links here for vets all over the world with rabbit experience: www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

I recommend the following resources to all rabbit owners:

House Rabbit Society - online rabbit info (www.rabbit.org)
Book: Rabbit Health in the 21st Century 2nd Ed. by Kathy Smith
Book: House Rabbit Handbook 4th Ed. by Marinell Harriman

Experience
House Rabbit Member since 2004 Discover Your House Rabbit organizer - 2006 Rabbit Adopter since 2004 HAWS Board of Education member (rabbits) since 2005 HAWS Rabbit Volunteer since 2004

Organizations
National House Rabbit Society, Wisconsin House Rabbit Society, Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), Education Board Member for Rabbits, Friends of HAWS

Education/Credentials
BSEE, MSEE (Electrical/Computer Engineering), Marquette University

You are here: Experts > Animals/Pets > Veterinary Medicine > Rabbits > Fungal infection

Rabbits - Fungal infection

Expert: Lee Meyer (Mr.) - 11/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: Dear Mr. Fisher,

I have a fungal infection (something similar to microsporum/tinea/ringworm). I think I got infected by my bunny.

I'd like to ask is this transmitted by air (and not only by touch)? Is it safe to keep the bunny in another room and just not have any contact with him for a while? I will take him to the vet, but my biggest concern is can I get further infected by air?

Thanx so much!

ANSWER: UPDATE

Hi, I re-read my answer and just wanted to clarify, the Tinactin/Miconozole suggestion is for you, not your rabbit. Your bunny, as I was more clear about indicating, will need to have a vet determine how strong of an antifungal to put him on. Of course your vet may also determine it's something other than ringworm too. But when I suggested the Tinactin, I meant it for you. Not that you'd apply it to your bunny. Sorry for any ambiguity there.

END UPDATE

Hi,

generally no. It requires physical contact. Wear gloves while cleaning litterpans. This is easily cleared up with Tinactin or Miconozole (items in the mens' aisle with shaving and foot care products).

And yes this is something you need to take him to the vet for. They can give him antibiotics and can either tell you the regular strength Tinactin/Miconozole can handle it, or whether you need something stronger. Generally you won't, the only time they'd probably really worry is if it was in your eyes.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Mr. Meyer,

thanx a lot for helping me and my bunny. Could I ask just once more - so basically, if I never touch my bunny again, I won't get infected? I just so worry about the infection being transmitted by air. I will take the bunny to the vet, by all means.

Thanx a a lot again. I just worry because it's spread all over my body, it looks like ringworm and red lichens. I am seeing my doc shortly, but I'm not sure she'll want to direct me to the dermatologist, and I can't afford to see one otherwise.

ANSWER: UPDATE

Just wanted to clarify that you are right to be concerned about spores, but you don't get the spores from airborne transmission. You pick them up off surfaces (ie walk on them, touch surfaces where they fell, (think walking across floor and getting athlete's foot, then rubbing foot with your hand, then touching your body with that hand, etc) It's basically something you pick up off a surface but then can spread more by a person unknowingly just by touching those areas.

From Healthypet.com:

Ringworm is a contagious disease and it is most commonly seen in young children, elderly people, pets or immunocompromised patients (both human and animal). The disease is passed when spores get onto the skin and have a chance to grow. Moist environments will help fungus flourish (which is why athlete’s foot is such a common fungal infection). Most healthy people will not have a problem with ringworm infections, but if you notice any skin lesions talk to your physician.

The spores of these fungi are very relentless and can survive in the environment for long periods of time. Pets infected with ringworm shed spores when their hair breaks off and falls into the environment. Some animals are carriers of the disease and never show any clinical signs. Some types of fungus can come from soil so it is important to determine the type or species of the fungus in order to determine its source.

END UPDATE

Hi,

well, like I said, you probably got it more likely from the litterpan or physical contact. Put it this way: what you believe you have, is basically a type of athelete's foot. You get that from a place like a community gym, walking around the locker room without foot protection on - it's all contact pickup. Not airborne.

Since you have had nothing to stop the spread of it once you acquired it, it is spreading. But not from the air most likely. These things are in the litterpan too at the moment so you can pick it up from there, but from handling and cleaning the litterpan contents not because they are airborne.

And once both of you are normal again, I would not worry about physical contact. I don't know how you could have any kind of pet and never touch them again. If your bunny gets better before you do, you will have to be careful not to re-infect her. This is an issue you'll need to fully understand from your doctor, to get an idea how long it takes to clear up on you, and the vet, for how long it takes to get your bunny recovered from this too. Because you will have to be careful not to re-infect each other.

You do not mention in your posts that you see a particular area on your bunny that looks funny. Since you also have really been asking about airborne infection, I wonder if you don't see anything abnormal on the rabbit. Are you just guessing that you got it from your bunny because you don't see any clear areas on him that look infected, or is there a certain spot or spots on your bunny that appear to have problems?

Because if you do not see anything weird or infected on your rabbit, chances are you did not get this from your rabbit. Some people actually have mistaken certain types of roseacea with a ringworm infection, and actually caused the roseacea to spread by trying to take care of it themselves.

SO if there is no clear areas on your rabbit that appear to be problematic, you most likely didn't get it from him, and it was from something else or it's not really ringworm at all.

I will pass along this page to you to read and use at your discretion, you can try at your own risk, some home remedies for ringworm and see if you get any relief.

http://www.susangaer.com/studentprojects/ringworm.htm

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanx so much, sir.

Yes, that is the most important question you just asked. My bunny has ear cranker, but the vet will treat this with ivermectin. His ears appear somewhat red on the outside (and he often scratches his back). As far as microsporum (which is what I suspect he has?), I read that the animal may appear perfectly healthy, but still have microsporum. What I see around his ears is scabies (mange), and his hair is not as thick as before.

I never ever take him outside, but I read that I may be to blame for microsporum (if that's what he has) by bringing it home myself and infecting the bunny.

What I think my bunny and I share is we both have red ears on the outside (I have something like skin lichens behind my ears). My doctor gave me Lamisil (terbinafine chloride I believe it is), I use it as a moisturizer on the infected areas, but it's still spreading.

So, basically, the vet has to determine if he has microsporum, right? If he doesn't, it means I got it from somewhere else - ringworm can't be an allergy to a healthy bunny, right?

I also never touch any other animals.

So, what I need to do is have the vet tell me if the bunny has microsporum, which means I got it from somewhere else, but don't know where?

Thanx so much for going into so much detail. I'm most grateful.

Answer
Hi,

well, an ear sore/redness etc can be from a number of things. Ringworm can be one potential thing. Mites, fleas, a bacterial infection of the ear can all lead to that. The thinning hair is sometimes due to them trying to groom the area that itches/irritates them.

But with your symptoms and his, it isn't unreasonable to think it's ringworm. Who got it first and where, who knows. You could have touched a surface anyone else did and picked it up. A desktop, a doorknob, sitting on a bench in the locker room, etc. Apparently it can survive a long time dormant.

If you will still be waiting to see a doctor a few days, I'd probably try the vinegar route first. If that doesn't work the tea tree oil (don't do the tea tree oil with your rabbit). Just try the people remedies on yourself. You can put a little mineral oil on your bunny's ears in the morning and evening until the vet gives you stronger medicine. I'd also ask the vet about pain meds for your bunny like metacam, because it will also help reduce swelling and inflammation in the ear which is important.

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